Workwear brand Carhartt teamed up with METALLICA‘s All Within My Hands foundation this Labor Day with the goal of training a new generation of skilled workers. A total of $377,450 was raised from online sales and will be donated to the foundation’s Metallica Scholars workforce education program, which connects students to hands-on learning and provides support to 23 schools via the American Association of Community Colleges.

Drawing inspiration from the 1981 “musicians wanted” ad that formed METALLICA, Carhartt and All Within My Hands created a want ad aimed at raising funds and connecting people to workforce education opportunities. The reimagined ad featured bandmembers from METALLICA paired with copy that harkens back to the original ad with a World War-era “We Want You” feel. Job seekers and supporters alike were directed to visit Carhartt.com to learn more about how to get involved with Metallica Scholars.

As one of the biggest touring acts of all time, METALLICA knows that stage crews and skilled workers are the backbone of the live events industry. To show just how essential these jobs are, Carhartt and All Within My Hands recruited a few lucky job seekers to build a mock METALLICA stage piece at Upstaging, Inc., a production and transportation company who helps put on shows for some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment business. The workshop experience is documented in a video, “Hard Rock Is Hard Work,” and provides a look at the various trade jobs in live events that are also transferrable to the larger job market — including welding and fabrication, lighting and electrical, construction, transportation and more.

Carhartt‘s Labor Day campaign came after millions of people in the live events industry were put out of work as concerts, sporting events, plays and all other events were shut down due to the pandemic. The need also applies to the country at large as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 943,000 new jobs in July 2021, many of which are in industries that require skilled labor.

“To build the workforce of the future, we need to connect more people to the training and education that helps fill essential jobs,” said Janet Ries, vice president of marketing at Carhartt. “With our partnership, we’re sending the message that whether you’re in high school looking for a first step, or out of work looking for a new start: come join the skilled trades. What better time to recruit job seekers into these exciting, high-demand opportunities than on Labor Day?”

“Carhartt and All Within My Hands are bound by our shared passion for supporting workforce education,” said Dr. Edward Frank, executive director at All Within My Hands Foundation. “As two organizations dedicated to providing opportunity, we hope to expand the Metallica Scholars program to include even more schools this year, and to get even more students trained for a career in the skilled trades.”